The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-08-21
The Home of the Future.

Complaints Of the difficulty OF obtaining
suitable domestic service are not confined to
this country, but have now become equally
loud and frequent in England. There as
here, too, a strong prejudice against, such
service has grown up among the working
people, so that at present, according to
correspondent OF the London Times. among
artisans the man servant, even. with pow
dered wig and silk stockings. Is either
laughed at as an excellent joke or treated
with feelings OF contempt"
The consequence has been a steady de-
crease in the supply OF English servants. In
lS4l the number OF female indoor servants
employed was about one in Is Of the popula-
ton, while In 1881 the number OF indoor ser
wants, both male and female was only ono
in ~. In 1912 the number Of men servants
was estimated at 205.s54 for population OF
little over ten millions. whereas tho last
census gave only 244,s9l, In spite OF the
enormous increase In population.
These facts lead the writer to whom We
have referred to the conclusion that do
mesticity in 80 far as 1t employs labor, must
follow the general law Of change affecting
labor In all it's branches" That Is, 1t must
which has brought about the substitution
of large collective enterprise for the petty
home Industries OF former ages" The bust
ness OF many shops Is included in one great
emporium, spinning and weaving have
ceased TO be domestic industries and are
confined to vast factories. and the tendency
generally Is toward the aggregation Of capt.
tai for the control OF enormous undertake
lngs. Something like associated homes
seems therefore to this writer to be clearly
indicated for the near future.
What has been found out In the factory
and the warehouse, he Is convinced, will DO
discovered at home; 80 that instead OF .
hundred fires to cook a hundred joints,
with hundred servants to turn the spits
there will be one large fire, and one or
two cooks to do the work. row Of
houses or OF fats will have common kitch-
en-, for which the provisions will DO
bought wholesale, and where the cooks will
be of the highest skill. In this way there
will be great saving to the individual homee
and the difficulties Of the domestic service
problem will be obviated. The kitchen
will become great factory or workshop. 80
that there will not be the prejudice against
employment In 1t that there Is now against
service In family. Those who worked
there would no longer be servants; their
status would be that OF employees dealing
with an administrator or manager"
In this last remark he shows that he has
found the prime cause OF the prejudice
against domestic service. 1t Ia not that men
and women object to the work. but that they
resent the name Of servant, "a implying that
they are in serv.le condition. They rebel
too, against tho submissiveness Of manner
required Of the domestic servant, and the
supervision he Is under at all hours. The
want OF tact and executive ability on the part
OF mistresses, az this London Tmss
writer truly says tends to produce
"those disputes and the constant change
OF servants which contribute to render
service - unpopular" while service in hotels
under competent managers Is fnvorably re-
garded. The servant in hotel feels more
like an assistant, an employee, and less like a
servant" II the home institutions were %
altered that not merely the cookery, but also
ell the domestic work, could "be taken In
hand by an army of trained asslstants, both
male and female, whose financial and social
position and individual Independence might
become tho same as that OF skilled artisans,
the present difaculties," in the opinion Of
this writer, would disappear In due ratio
with the development OF this new system"
The scheme thus proposed has been actu-
ally carried into effect In New York. % Tar